Today we tell the story of Lucy Walker, plural wife of the prophet Joseph Smith. We tell her story and then spend time exploring who has spiritual experiences, whether they can be trusted specifically when one us under stress, pressure, and sleep deprivation. Then we explore the spiritual experiences of those of other faiths and in the end speak to a theological conundrum regardless of which way you come down in the Lucy Walker story.
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Just listened to the podcast Bill. I don’t know what to say. The Jim Jones stuff was some of the most chilling things you shared–the testimonies were eye-opening for me.
LDS Leadership relies on the testimony feeling, and it’s dangerous. I actually like a lot of what Paul Dunn said, but an example for me of this “danger” are the feelings I had when I listened to Dunn’s “stories”.
Keep up the podcasts. I’m trying to share your work with others and a few are starting to listen. I think your work is some of the most eye-opening I’ve encountered.
The gospel was not based on feelings. Luke recites that he and the other disciples were eye witnesses and that the resurrected lord was seen by hundreds of people. It is the testimony of angels appearing to shepherds watching their flocks by night, of water turning into wine, of prophets long dead appearing to Peter, James and John, of the empty tomb, of the risen lord, of his ascending into yonder heavens. How can you write all that away? I never had a spiritual experience when I was stressed or sleep deprived. They have all been while I was very much awake and alert. And those experiences were more than feel-good feelings (although those too are only evidence of the light of Christ in every person).
Great podcast, Bill!
Apologists sometimes try to discount such troubling stories by quoting Isaiah that God’s ways are higher than our ways.
My problem is when God’s ways are LOWER than our ways.
Keep up the great work!
Create powerful emotions thru story. Anyone can do it. Watch this TED-X talk for 17 minutes.
https://youtu.be/Nj-hdQMa3uA